The Book of Judges

2

1

And the angel of YAHUVEH came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, I
made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I
sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with
you:

2

and ye shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; ye
shall break down their altars. But ye have not hearkened unto my voice:
why have ye done this?

3

Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but
they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their deities shall be a
snare unto you.

4

And it came to pass, when the angel of YAHUVEH spake these words unto
all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and
wept.

5

And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed
there unto YAHUVEH.

6

Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel went
every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.

7

And the people served YAHUVEH all the days of Joshua, and all the days
of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of
YAHUVEH that he had wrought for Israel.

8

And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of YAHUVEH, died, being a hundred
and ten years old.

9

And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres,
in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.

10

And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and
there arose another generation after them, that knew not YAHUVEH, nor yet
the work which he had wrought for Israel.

11

And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of
YAHUVEH, and served the Baalim;

12

and they forsook YAHUVEH, the YAHUVEH of their fathers, who brought them
out of the land of Egypt, and followed other deities, of the deities of
the peoples that were round about them, and bowed themselves down unto
them: and they provoked YAHUVEH to anger.

13

And they forsook YAHUVEH, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.

14

And the anger of YAHUVEH was kindled against Israel, and he delivered
them into the hands of spoilers that despoiled them; and he sold them into
the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer
stand before their enemies.

15

Whithersoever they went out, the hand of YAHUVEH was against them for
evil, as YAHUVEH had spoken, and as YAHUVEH had sworn unto them: and they
were sore distressed.

16

And YAHUVEH raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those
that despoiled them.

17

And yet they hearkened not unto their judges; for they played the
harlot after other deities, and bowed themselves down unto them: they
turned aside quickly out of the way wherein their fathers walked, obeying
the commandments of YAHUVEH; but they did not so.

18

And when YAHUVEH raised them up judges, then YAHUVEH was with the judge,
and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge:
for it repented YAHUVEH because of their groaning by reason of them that
oppressed them and vexed them.

19

But it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they turned back,
and dealt more corruptly than their fathers, in following other deities to
serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their doings,
nor from their stubborn way.

20

And the anger of YAHUVEH was kindled against Israel; and he said,
Because this nation have transgressed my covenant which I commanded their
fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;

21

I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the
nations that Joshua left when he died;

22

that by them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of
YAHUVEH to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.

23

So YAHUVEH left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither
delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.